The present invention relates to air compressors or vacuum pumps and particularly to an improved head construction for a diaphragm type compressor.
Low volume, relatively high pressure diaphragm vacuum pumps or compressors employ a resilient diaphragm forming a movable wall of a compression chamber and which travel a relatively short distance to draw air into the chamber through a one-way valve and on the upward stroke of the rod coupled to the diaphragm, compress the charge of air and force it through a one-way outlet valve. In known compressors, a floating valve plate construction has been employed in which a separate plate which houses the inlet and outlet valves is positioned above the diaphragm and a separate compressor head is positioned over the valve plate. The compressor head includes, in some instances, filter means for filtering air as it enters and exits the compressor.
This conventional diaphragm compressor construction is relatively complex and expensive as it requires a separate valve plate and compressor head. Additionally, such construction prevents ready access to the valves and filter means employed with the compressor should they require maintenance.